Department for Transport

Bus Services

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports that increased congestion is affecting bus journey times and the reliability of bus services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government recognises that congestion can affect the predictability and length of bus journey times and the reliability of buses. In 2015, the Department for Transport published its externally commissioned research into factors that influence bus journey times, which is attached for your ease of reference. This work included a literature review of the existing body of work in this area at the time the research was conducted. The vast majority of local bus services operate on the local road network for which local authorities, rather than the Secretary of State, are responsible. Local traffic authorities have a duty under section 16 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 to manage their road network so as to secure the expeditious movement of traffic, including bus services, on the network. The Bus Services Bill recognises the important role local transport authorities have in this regard, providing them with new means to work in partnership with bus operators to achieve improvements to local bus services that benefit passengers and local communities.



Bus Journey Time Variablility - Pilot Study Report
(PDF Document, 1.78 MB)




Bus Journey Time Variability - Technical Report
(PDF Document, 1.34 MB)

Road Works

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to encourage the wider use of lane rental schemes, as introduced in London in 2012.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are determined to deliver better journeys for drivers and cut congestion. Lane rental enables councils to charge utilities companies for carrying out works on the busiest roads at the busiest times, to encourage them to keep disruption to a minimum on the local road network. Regulations and guidance were introduced in 2012 and led to the introduction of pioneer schemes by Transport for London in 2012 and Kent County Council in 2013. Charges were also applied under these schemes to the highway authority’s own maintenance works. The Department for Transport published an independent evaluation of the schemes in March 2016, which is attached for ease. The report is being used by the Department alongside other information to formulate options for the future of lane rental schemes. These are likely to be subject to consultation during 2017.



Street Works Lane Rental Evaluation Report
(PDF Document, 1.44 MB)

Public Transport: Subsidies

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the various levels of subsidy available for travel on public transport and the effect such variations have on inequality; and whether they plan to modify their policies as a result of that assessment.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Under the Bus Subsidy Operators Grant (BSOG) system, the Government pays out some £250m a year to bus operators and local authorities to support bus services outside London. BSOG plays an important role in protecting services, especially in rural areas. Department for Transport analysis indicates that BSOG has helped extend the rural bus network by 13%, equivalent to an additional 38 million kilometres to the network, providing residents with vital links to local services. Ultimately, however, it is for individual authorities to decide which services are most appropriate for support in their respective areas and deliver the greatest benefits for their residents. We believe it is right that such decisions should be made locally.

Southern

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for restoring a reliable service by Southern Rail.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The first issue is for GTR to provide a reliable, consistent train service, which is what its revised timetable is designed to do. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) will keep the situation regarding traincrew availability under review every week and will take decisions about restoring services on that basis. We also urge the union in the strongest possible terms to sit round the table with the operator to bring this unjustified action, which is harming passengers, to an end.

Govia Thameslink Railway

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last held discussions with senior managers of Govia Thameslink Railway about train cancellations on their services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Secretary of State for Transport and the Rail Minister have been in regular contact with senior Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) managers to discuss GTR franchise matters. Officials are also in constant contact with representatives from GTR and frequently discuss the operation of the franchise.

Wheels to Work Schemes

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether local authorities will be able to bid for resources from the Department for Transport's Access Fund for Sustainable Travel to support or develop Wheels 2 Work schemes within their areas.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Department for Transport welcomes applications to the Access Fund from local transport authorities in England (except London) that support or develop Wheels 2 Work schemes in their area which increase cycling and improve access to work, skills, education or training.

Southern: Standards

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they will take to prevent further deterioration of Southern Rail services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Prior to the start of the industrial action by the RMT on Southern, the performance on this route was improving; we urge the union in the strongest terms to get round the table and end this unjustified action which is harming passengers.

Southern: Standards

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what guidance the operator of Southern Rail services is given on the safe passenger loading capacity for Sussex Coastal services.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Transport safety is a key objective of the Government and the UK has one of the safest railways in Europe. Each operator is responsible for the safety of their staff, passengers and services. The Office of Rail and Road’s duty is to ensure that those responsible for keeping Britain's railways safe for passengers, and providing a safe place for staff to work, do so.

Southern: Standards

Lord Bassam of Brighton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to give guidance to the operator of Southern Rail services on ensuring passenger safety when short formation services are in use.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Each operator is responsible for the safety of their staff, passengers and services. The Office of Rail and Road’s duty is to ensure that those responsible for keeping Britain's railways safe for passengers and providing a safe place for staff to work do so.

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether it is possible for members of the public who encounter a motor vehicle producing visible emissions to report the matter and if so, to whom should they report.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Members of the public can report excessively smoky lorries and buses to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency through their website (https://www.gov.uk/report-smoky-vehicle). There is no similar reporting system for cars or other vehicles. However all vehicles must meet strict standards before they enter service, as well as standards which must be maintained at all times while a vehicle is in service. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the vehicle meets the necessary limit requirements at all times.

*No heading*

Baroness Whitaker: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have instructed Government Car Service drivers to turn off their engines while waiting in New Palace Yard to reduce air pollution, and if not, whether they intend to do so.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Government Car Service drivers are regularly reminded of the need to turn off the engine when parked to reduce air pollution and save fuel. A new reminder will be sent out immediately with particular reference to New Palace Yard and the Parliamentary Estate.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UK Withdrawal from EU

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the relationships between Norway and the EU, and Switzerland and the EU, could be used as models for the UK's relationship with the EU after leaving that Union.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Government provided an assessment of alternative models that the UK could pursue in its paper "Alternatives to membership: possible models for the United Kingdom outside the European Union", which was presented to Parliament in March this year. It will be for the next Prime Minister to determine, along with their Cabinet, the right approach to take and the right outcome to negotiate.

Sudan: Religious Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of continued reports of the imprisonment of Christians, increased restrictions on refugee churches, closure and destruction of other churches, and the ongoing bombing campaign against the Nuba region which has a large Christian community, what steps they are taking to ensure that the right to freedom of religion or belief is respected in Sudan.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Freedom of religion or belief in Sudan continues to be an area of deep concern to the British Government. Along with international partners, we regularly attend court cases on freedom of religion or belief and raise related cases with the Government of Sudan. Through our project work we also seek to support lawyers who take on cases addressing important human rights issues, such as freedom of religion. More broadly, we also continue highlight our concerns about the conflict in South Kordofan, most recently via a joint statement with our Troika partners on 27 May. We welcome the Government of Sudan’s announcement of a cessation of hostilities on 17 June and urge all sides to respect this.

Gaza: Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the reduction of the permitted fishing zone off the coast of the Gaza Strip from nine to six nautical miles.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not raised this issue with the Israeli authorities. We previously welcomed the easing of fishing restrictions, and continue to encourage the Israeli authorities to implement further measures to improve the situation on the ground in Gaza. The UK would like to see a permanent increase in the size of the fishing zone off the coast of Gaza, in line with the limit of twenty nautical miles stipulated in the Oslo accords.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take regarding the reported use of sponge-tipped bullets against Palestinians by Israeli forces.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Our officials in Tel Aviv have not raised this specific issue of the use of sponge-tipped bullets with the Israeli authorities. We do, however, raise our concerns with them about the manner in which the Israel Defence Forces police non-violent protests, including the use of lethal and non-lethal ammunition.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel following reports of the use of rubber bullets and gas canisters, and the confiscation of vehicles, by the Israeli Defence Forces during a raid on Bil'in village on 16 June.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue. However, our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises concern over the excessive use of force with the Israeli authorities including the use of non-lethal ammunition during non-violent protests.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the weekly non-violent protests against illegal Israeli settlements by the village of Bil'in, and whether they plan to hold discussions with that village's Popular Struggle Committee.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Whilst we have not made any assessment of the non-violent protests by the village of Bil’in, officials from our Consulate General in Jerusalem met Abdullah Abu Rahmah (coordinator of Bil’in Popular Struggle Committee) in his capacity as Deputy Head of the Palestinian Authority Commission against the Wall and Settlements in 20 August 2015. The Consulate General worked with the Commission on a joint olive harvest campaign, and are looking to provide similar support to Palestinian communities in the future.Abu Rahmeh has been arrested by the Israel Defence Forces multiple times for taking part in non violent resistance and has been designated a human rights defender by the EU. UK officials attended his court hearing on 8 February 2015, with representatives from other EU Missions.

Israel: Palestinians

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding the reported continuing restrictions on a Palestinian farmer in accessing his land at Mantiqat Shib al Butum.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We have not made any representations to the Israeli authorities on this specific issue.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Mauritius

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to maintain current relations with Mauritius, in the light of the intention of Mauritius to seek an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the sovereignty of Mauritius over the Chagos Archipelago.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The United Kingdom value the historic relationship of trust and cooperation that we share with the Republic of Mauritius. It is therefore with great concern that we note the intention the Prime Minister of Mauritius expressed to the Parliament of Mauritius on 17 May to seek a referral by the UN General Assembly to the International Court of Justice this autumn, in order to obtain an advisory opinion in relation to the British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago).Referral of this matter to the International Court of Justice would cause lasting damage to Mauritius’ bilateral relations and we have respectfully sought the Prime Minister of Mauritius’ assurance that he does not intend to proceed with such action, and that he will return to a constructive path. Mauritius stands to benefit from friendly relations, including in relation to the British Indian Ocean Territory, where the UK and Mauritius are already engaged in talks that aim to implement the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea arbitral award of March 2015 and give due regard to Mauritius’ interests in matters of marine conservation in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

International Court of Justice

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to make greater use of the advisory function of the International Court of Justice.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The United Kingdom will continue to consider, on a case-by-case basis, whether to support any properly formulated request for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on legal questions from duly authorised bodies, in accordance with Article 96 of the UN Charter.

British Indian Ocean Territory: Defence

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the timescale for ending the use of the Chagos Archipelago for defence purposes.

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long after the ending of the use of the Chagos Archipelago for defence purposes they expect to return that territory to Mauritius.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The United Kingdom is committed to cede the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. The military facility located in the British Indian Ocean Territory continues to contribute significantly towards global security, and is central to efforts at countering regional threats, including those from terrorism and piracy. We do not envisage this position changing in the short-term and it is for the UK alone to determine when this position has been reached.

Occupied Territories: Housing

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they intend to take in response to the government of Israel's recent announcements of additional settlements on the West Bank and what representations they have made to that government about the impact of those announcements on the viability of a two-state solution.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: On 5 July, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), issued a Statement expressing deep concern about the announcement of new settlements units in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.Whilst officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv have not yet raised this issue with the Israeli authorities, Mr Ellwood said in his statement "Settlements are illegal under international law. As noted in the report issued by the Middle East Quartet on 1 July, steps like this also make a two state solution more difficult to achieve."

Turkey: LGBT People

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 July (HL763), why the pride flag was not flown over the British Embassy in Ankara when the pride flag has been flown over embassies in Paris, Oslo, Tel Aviv and Santiago.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Rainbow flag was previously flown at some United Kingdom Diplomatic missions. Since 2015, following the implementation of a simple, clear and consistent flag flying policy, United Kingdom Diplomatic missions have only flown the Diplomatic, Union or Consular flag, the flags of the constituent countries of the UK on their respective national days and in certain countries, the European flag. United Kingdom Diplomatic missions do not fly any other flags.

Turkey: LGBT People

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 July (HL763), why they have not discussed with the government of Turkey the use of rubber bullets and tear gas against LGBT people on the streets of Istanbul.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 4 July 2016 in response to his question of 20 June 2016 (HL763). This stated that we regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government, including freedom of assembly. We have expressed concerns over the disproportionate use of rubber bullets and tear gas by Turkish authorities.

Turkey: LGBT People

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anelay of St Johns on 4 July (HL763), when they plan to raise with the government of Turkey the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against LGBT people on the streets of Istanbul.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 4 July in response to his question of 20 June 2016 (HL763), in which I stated that we regularly underline the importance of all fundamental freedoms as part of our broader dialogue with the Turkish government, including freedom of assembly. We have expressed concerns over the disproportionate use of rubber bullets and tear gas by Turkish authorities.

Syria: Asylum

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to encourage Gulf States to accept Syrian asylum seekers.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We recognise and welcome the substantial and continued contribution made by Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states to the humanitarian aid response for Syria and the large numbers of Syrians already in the Gulf. The Gulf states are now home to almost one million Syrians, and Gulf states have pledged more than $3 billion in humanitarian assistance. Kuwait co-hosted the London Donor Conference in February 2016 where Gulf states pledged $739 million.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Small Businesses

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risks that companies may delay investment and hiring new staff in the UK in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK's membership of the EU.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: My Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Governor of the Bank of England have been clear that although there is uncertainty ahead, the UK is very much open for business and investment. Since the referendum, the Government has been actively engaged with businesses of all types and in all sectors to understand their concerns. In the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, my Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State and other ministers are holding a series of roundtables with business organisations and with CEOs and senior representatives from many of our biggest employers. The Secretary of State also chairs the new business engagement inter-ministerial group, which brings ministers across Government together to discuss issues and challenges facing business, including creating opportunities for investment and trade.

Migrant Workers: EU Nationals

Lord Cromwell: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reports that non-UK EU citizens are reconsidering job offers from UK companies, what assessment they have made of whether prospective employers in the UK will have access to a more limited pool of skills.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As my Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister has said, there will be no immediate changes as a result of the EU referendum, including in the circumstances of non-UK EU citizens working in the UK. The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive. Ensuring our new relationship with the EU works for employees and employers will be important in the months ahead.

Postgraduate Education: Career Development Loans

Lord Freyberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many postgraduate students in England applied for Professional Career Development Loans to study (1) applied art and design, (2) art and design, (3) drama, (4) media, film or TV, (5) music, (6) dance, (7) performing arts, and (8) design and technology, in (a) 2009–10, (b) 2010–11, (c) 2011–12, (d) 2012–13, (e) 2013–14, (f) 2014–15, and (g) 2015–16; how many of those applications were successful; and what was the average loan given in each instance.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Professional and Career Development Loans are open to UK citizens who seek financial support for a wide range of tertiary education provision. In recent years, nearly 7/10 of the typical 7000-8000 loans per year have been taken out by those participating in postgraduate study. Nearly 90% of loans are taken out by residents of England. It has not been possible to split applied art and design from art and design. Categorisation is a result of the government’s interpretation of the course title. The following table illustrates the number of recipients studying certain postgraduate provision and the average loan value. Category2009-102010-112011-12  Art and Design317£6,712292£6,989335£7,606Dance23£7,35016£6,76618£8,325Design & Tech96£6,36997£7,226104£7,604Drama14£7,14427£6,72217£6,927Media, Film or TV213£7,345171£7,023169£7,657Music82£7,05871£7,72689£7,678Performing Arts39£7,01031£6,22937£7,728   Category2012-132013-142014-152015-16Art and Design270£7,703301£7,970248£7,921213£7,907Dance21£7,68727£7,25328£7,47117£8,469Design & Tech97£8,24293£7,58597£7,60263£7,518Drama23£8,36020£7,02621£7,87326£8,012Media, Film or TV140£7,746144£8,153120£7,88782£7,439Music104£8,074112£8,17392£8,44286£8,065Performing Arts29£8,35637£8,12242£8,38625£8,098

New Businesses

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk that leaving the EU could negatively affect the growth of startup companies in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: There will be no immediate changes to the UK’s relationship with the EU, in the way goods can move or services can be sold. The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK remains open for business and continues to grow and thrive.

Research: Finance

Lord Trees: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the result of the referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU and the possible consequences of that result for research funding in the UK, what priority they intend to give to research funding in the forthcoming negotiations.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The UK economy is fundamentally strong and UK research and innovation are world leading. The Government will continue working with the research community to make the strongest possible case for higher education, research and innovation in the coming negotiation.

Silver: Hallmarking

Lord Stevenson of Balmacara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received about the decision of Birmingham Assay Office, pursuant to the Legislative Reform (Hallmarking) Order 2013, to open an office in Mumbai on 18 July that will use a mark for silver to be imported into the UK that is similar to the established anchor mark used for domestic production; and whether they will publish any assessment they have made of the prospective impact of that decision on the Birmingham silversmithing trade.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Hallmarks are not an indication of geographic origin and are already applied widely to articles manufactured in places other than the location of the four UK Assay Offices, including to articles manufactured outside the UK. Government has received four representations expressing concern about the decision of Birmingham Assay Office, pursuant to the Legislative Reform (Hallmarking) Order 2013, to open a sub-office in Mumbai. An impact assessment of the costs and benefits of removing the restrictions on overseas hallmarking was published alongside the government consultation on the proposals in 2012, and covered the whole of the hallmarking sector. The Impact Assessment estimated that there would be a benefit to business of £3.44 m. A copy of the impact assessment can be found on the Parliament website accompanying the Legislative Reform (Hallmarking) Order 2013.

Department for International Development

Syria: Humanitarian Aid

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to discuss with the government of Turkey the opening of safe routes across the frontier of Syria to allow relief supplies to reach displaced people in and near Afrin.

Baroness Verma: The UK plays a key role in opening up humanitarian access in Syria. Over 300 convoys of cross-border aid have been delivered because of the UK co-sponsored UN Security Council Resolutions 2165, 2191 and 2258, which enable aid to be delivered to those in need in Syria without the consent of the regime. British officials regularly raise issues relating to the management of the border with Syria in their discussions with the Turkish authorities.

Department for Education

Children in Care

Lord Watson of Invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they expect to publish their care leaver covenant.

Lord Nash: The care leaver covenant will allow public, private and charitable bodies to set out how, as members of civil society, they will make a commitment to support care leavers to thrive into adulthood. We plan to launch the care leaver covenant during ‘care leavers’ week’ in October 2016.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional qualifications are required to teach Careers Education in schools.

Lord Nash: We want schools to build the skills and expertise required to plan strategically for the provision of careers education and guidance, embedding careers and employability skills in the curriculum and engaging external partners in the delivery of high quality, inspirational support. The careers strategy, to be published later this year, will set out further details of how we will support schools to achieve this. The strategy has been developed in consultation with key partners across the education and careers sectors. Pupils can gain confidence and motivation from the opportunity to explore career ideas through individual, face-to-face discussions with a range of people. The careers statutory guidance sets out the main qualifications for careers professionals: the Qualification in Career Guidance (QCG) (which replaced the earlier Diploma in Careers Guidance) and the Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development. The statutory guidance also provides information about the register of careers professionals, developed by the Career Development Institute, which schools can use to search for a career development professional who can deliver a particular service or activity.

Ministry of Justice

Holloway Prison

Baroness Corston: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the most up to date commercial land market valuation for the Holloway Prison site.

Baroness Corston: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is decisions have been made about the future of the Holloway Prison site.

Baroness Corston: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the marketing of the Holloway Prison site.

Lord Faulks: On 9 November 2015, the government announced a £1.3bn investment to reform and modernise the prison estate to make it more efficient, safer and focused on supporting prisoner rehabilitation. The Secretary of State for Justice announced on 25 November 2015 that HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Holloway would be closed as the first stage of this programme. HMP Holloway was closed on 22 June. Once the prison has been fully decommissioned it will be handed over to the Ministry of Justice Estates Directorate for disposal. No decisions have yet been taken on the future of the Holloway site. The Ministry of Justice will work closely with the local authority and others, on future options for the site. Once a decision is made, the MoJ and its advisors will engage with the market and other stakeholders. Any valuation information is considered commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be released.

Holloway Prison

Baroness Corston: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to monitor the impact of the closure of Holloway Prison on the number of family visits to relocated prisoners.

Lord Faulks: All women transferred from Holloway were carefully assessed as part of the prison’s closure planning. The assessment sought to ensure that they were held as close to home as was practicable given their individual circumstances.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The Countess of Mar: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Altmann on 16 June (HL502), what provision is made for claimants suffering severe myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome who are housebound or bedbound and who are unable to attend a face-to-face consultation.

Baroness Altmann: A home consultation can be offered where a claimant is unable to travel to a consultation as a result of their health condition or impairment. Situations where a claimant may need a home consultation can include where a person’s diagnosis suggests a significant disability that may make travel extremely difficult or the claimant provides evidence from a health professional that they are unable to travel due to their health condition or impairment.

Housing Benefit

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of Discretionary Housing Payments made in each local authority area in England in 2015–16 were paid to care leavers up to the age of 25.

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of Discretionary Housing Payments made to care leavers up to the age of 25 in each local authority area in England in 2015–16.

The Earl of Listowel: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many care leavers under the age of 25 in each local authority area in England received Discretionary Housing Payments in 2015–16.

Lord Freud: The information requested is not available.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Private Rented Housing: Fees and Charges

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of administrative and immigration check fees on those on low incomes seeking to rent a home.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Not all letting agents charge fees for right to rent checks and when right to rent was rolled out in the West Midlands, it was found that the majority of letting agents were not charging a fee for conducting the right to rent immigration checks. Letting agents are required to be fully transparent about their fees and publicise a complete tariff of fees in their offices and on their website. The Government believes that full transparency gives consumers the information they need. We intend to carry out a review later this year into how well this approach is working.

Private Rented Housing: Fees and Charges

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to limit the number of times a person applying to rent a home would be subject to fees for administration and immigration checks.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We have no plans to limit the number of times a person applying to rent a home may be subject to fees for administration and immigration checks. However, letting agents are required to be fully transparent about their fees and publicise a complete tariff of fees in their offices and on their website. The Government believes that full transparency gives consumers the information they need. We intend to carry out a review later this year into how well this approach is working. Not all letting agents do charge fees for right to rent checks and when right to rent was rolled out in the West Midlands, it was found that the majority of letting agents were not charging a fee for conducting the right to rent immigration checks.

Green Belt

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many changes to green belt boundaries have been made in the past five years.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Between 2010/11 and 2014/15, 24 local authorities adopted new boundaries for the designated Green Belt.

Department of Health

Atrial Fibrillation

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 13 June (HL459), why there will be a delay in publishing the final report of the National Institute for Health Research project HTA-14/141/01 on screening strategies for atrial fibrillation.

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 13 June (HL459), what impact the UK National Screening Committee expects the delay in publishing the final report of National Institute for Health Research project HTA-14/141/01 to have on the timescales for reviewing its recommendation on screening for atrial fibrillation in adults.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The project ‘Screening Strategies for Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis’ is being funded through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme. There were a larger number of studies than expected – around 260 - because of the broad population inclusion criteria and the active phase of the project has slightly overrun. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviews the evidence for screening based on the best and most robust evidence available. The UK NSC is due to review the evidence for screening people aged 65 and over for atrial fibrillation in the financial year 2017/18. It is anticipated that the timing of the UK NSC review will not be affected by the delay to the publication of the NIHR’s ‘Screening Strategies for Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Cost-Effectiveness Analysis’. The UK NSC will consider the timing of its review more closely in spring 2017.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of individuals privately accessing the drug Truvada following the decision by NHS England not to make it available on prescription for pre-exposure prophylaxis to HIV.

Lord Prior of Brampton: No such assessment has been made.

HIV Infection

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individuals are diagnosed as having HIV in England and Wales, broken down by (1) age, and (2) gender.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The number of people newly diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in England and Wales in 2014 by age is shown in Table 1; and gender is shown in Table 2. This is the latest year for which data is available. Table 1: New HIV diagnoses by age group; England & Wales, 2014CountryAge at diagnosis2014EnglandLess than 152515-2466625-341,85135-441,42945-541,00855-6438865+192Not reported0Total5,559Wales*Less than 15Less than 515-242025-345535-444645-544455-641365+Less than 10Not reported0Total189 Note: *Cells containing values between 1 and 4 in Wales have been masked using the notation Less than 5 and secondary masking has also been applied to avoid the risk of deductive disclosure.  Table 2: New HIV diagnoses by gender; England & Wales, 2014CountryGender2014EnglandMen4,169Women1,390Total5,559WalesMen138Women51Total189

NHS: Finance

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many, and what percentage of, NHS providers have signed up to the first round of proposed control totals; and how they plan to respond to those providers who (1) have not signed up, or (2) refuse to do so.

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the membership of those NHS provider boards that do not achieve financial balance by the end of 2016–17 will be replaced.

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government by how much they estimate the deficit of NHS providers will have been reduced by the end of the 2016–17.

Lord Prior of Brampton: NHS Improvement continues to work with those providers who have not been able to agree control totals by the end of July. At present, 213 of 238 providers (89.5%) have an agreed a control total. Those providers who have been unable to agree a control total will not be able to access the sustainability and transformation fund. NHS Improvement is currently consulting on a new oversight regime, which details proposals on how providers will be monitored in future and this will set out how variance from financial plan or control total will be managed. NHS Improvement does not intend to replace the boards of those providers who do not achieve financial balance by the end of 2016/17. The organisation’s new oversight regime also sets out in detail how it proposes to monitor and support providers. The Government’s Mandate to the NHS 2016-17, a copy of which is attached, confirms that the National Health Service must ensure that it balances its budget, including commissioners and providers living within their budgets. To support this, £1.8 billion of NHS England’s budget for 2016-17 will be allocated through the Sustainability and Transformation Fund to support providers, in particular emergency services, payable through commissioning or as other support.



NHS England Mandate 2016-17
(PDF Document, 503.09 KB)